Sausalito Marin City School District spares position from cuts

After extensive debate and public comment, the Sausalito Marin City School District will preserve an elementary school teaching position that was up for possible elimination.

The district board voted 4-1 not to cut a third-grade teaching slot that will become vacant next school year because the teacher is leaving.

The vote to keep the position and hire a new teacher will preserve a class size of about 11 students. Otherwise, two third-grade classes would be merged with one teacher and about 22 students.

“My opinion is that a majority of the board and extensive expressions from the community have made clear there is not support to reduce teaching head count and responsibilities as currently constituted for the coming year,” Lauren Walters, the board president, said in an email.

Walters said he expects the district to advertise soon to fill the post.

“Speaking only for myself and thinking for this coming year and into the future, I do support reducing central office staff and considering new governance models for the district,” Walters said.

The board vote was on March 13. Walters, Rebecca Lytle, Bonnie Hough and Danielle Diego were the trustees who voted not to eliminate the post. Caroline Tiziani was for it.

LaResha Huffman, the district’s superintendent, said she favored eliminating the position to boost the district’s financial health.

“This is probably one of the first years the district is not in a budget crisis,” Huffman said at the board meeting. “It’s so important to me to get to fiscal stability for years to come.”

After struggling with a shaky budget when she arrived at the district in 2023, Huffman said she did not want to recreate that situation. Huffman not only had to preside over a series of staff cuts early on, but also had to oversee the controversial consolidation of the district’s elementary and middle schools last year.

“I do value small class sizes,” Huffman said. But she noted that some families are transferring their children to other school districts with larger classes.

“Class sizes may not be the problem,” Huffman said.

In letters to the district and public comments, parents and teachers in the district almost all supported hiring a new third-grade teacher and keeping the class sizes small.

“I am concerned to learn of the surprising last minute recommendation to eliminate an elementary school teacher at Dr. MLK Jr. Academy,” parent Renee Maas wrote. “Raising class size has a significant impact in the learning experience for our students. We would like to understand what stakeholder input was considered before placing this on the agenda.”

Samantha Kelly, a first-grade teacher, it was “frustrating” to see a plan to cut a full-time position. Many of the elementary students at the school have special needs, and decreasing the number of teachers would not be supportive for those students, she said.

“We need to continue with the small class sizes,” Kelly said.